Six families of victims killed in one of America's worst mass shootings have filed a lawsuit against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who has claimed the massacre days shortly before Christmas 2012 never happened.

Representatives from the Higher Education Authority, the Department of Education, and Cork Institute of Technology have all rejected suggestions that an investigation into allegations contained in an anonymous protected disclosure related to CIT is not being conducted in an independent fashion.

North Korea has dismantled its nuclear test site, according to media reports, in a planned move portrayed by the isolated regime as a goodwill gesture ahead of a potential summit next month with the US.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has told road safety campaigners that the Government may seek the agreement of the opposition to cut short debate on the new Road Traffic Bill to ensure it passes before the summer.